A tale of hope
by dathyppie
Summary: When a man that just wants to be left alone is forced to fight in a growing war unlike any other how much can he take before he loses himself... How long before he becomes one of the monsters he began fighting. [discontinued]
1. Chapter 1

"Markus Venandi, age 21, gender male. Charged with 36 cases of murder, 9 cases of attempted murder, 2 cases of aggravated assault, 45 cases of assault with a deadly weapon. Damn son that is one long list, how do you plead?" The judge listed off with quick efficiency, must have been doing this for awhile now.

"I killed those men to defend my classmates and other innocents caught in the crossfire of that lunatics gang. They were equipped with kryptonite weaponry I don't know how they got it, but if I hadn't acted superman and supergirl may not have been able to stop them. So I guess that means I plead guilty." With that the judge huffs out a silent 'so be it' and slams down his gavel. I don't even listen to how long I'll be behind bars as I'm dragged away. Too think that my winter break would end like this.

 _ **Flashback three days prior January 1st**_

Screams of drunken joy turn into cries of fear at exactly 12 am marking the beginning of 2018 with bloodshed. Joker's clown masked gang rolls into metropolis university's new year's celebration, seemingly just too cause a little chaos.

As soon as we called out 'happy new year' a gunshot rang out and tommy dropped to the ground with a large chunk of his head blown clean off.

"Markus run… some gang is killing everyone in sight." My bandmate tiffany shouts.

"Tiff we can't just leave everyone else here to die. Lead everyone out through the stage entrance, I'll distract them." I say as I begin to move.

"Dammit this is no time to be all self sacrificial we have to run and get as many people out as possible." she grabs my arm before pleading with me.

"Who said anything about sacrificing myself. Tiff I need you too get them out leave this too me, remember who my father is." I yank my arm from her grasp, before striding forward to one of the goons.

It was at this point I recognized who they belonged to. As if the clown masks weren't a dead giveaway they each had a symbol emblazoned on their coats. Upsilon one of the lasts letters of the Greek alphabet and the symbol my father used to show off his elite hitmen.

 _Fuck my father kowtowing to the joker was the whole reason I ran from Gotham eight goddamn years ago. Now they're here killing my friends and anyone else around. Fight now think later._

As soon as one of the goons comes around the corner I grab his gun and bash it into his nose. Tearing it from his grasp I fire 3 rounds into another. He drops so I fire into the one I took the gun from. They have m4s, luckily it's one of the many weapons my father forced me to learn to use.

Round after round exits the barrel each hitting their mark signified by the dull thud of a body meeting concrete. I move with practiced ease trying to fight my repulsion too my actions, despite all my attempts to stay away from the shady and dark actions of my family I can't deny I would have been good at it.

When only nine are left standing the sound of shattering glass catches my attention, and in that momentary distraction a bullet embeds itself in my right shoulder.

I bite back my scream as I tear forward too put the bastard down when I come face too spandex covered arse cheeks of none other than supergirl. "Nate would kill for this view." Pulling my eyes away I notice a grenade rolling along the ground. "Shit, hit the dirt."

As I slam on the ground I hear it go off and I hear a shout of pain. A feminine shout, I thought supes and his friends were practically invulnerable to anything, unless they got their hands on fucking kryptonite.

I stand only too hear clapping from behind me followed by bone chilling laughter. Looking back I see the joker striding in, my father following closely behind.

"Oh when you glare like that I can almost hear a fire, what did I ever do to you to deserve that?" The joker asks in a false hurt tone.

"You killed my mother, and he let you so he could prove his loyalty to his new master." I growl in true rage.

"Now when you say it like that you make it sound like I forced him to work for me. Did you ever consider that maybe your mommy wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway?"

I scream in rage as I charge forward. I don't care if I die here I'm gonna strangle that dann clown. My father intercepts my charge only to receive a brutal kick to his knee. _Paybacks a bitch ain't it fucker._ A quick left jab strikes him in the chest but my following right hook is blocked. Changing tactics I grab his arm yanking him forward before twisting and carrying his momentum over me slamming him into the concrete… hard, he deserves worse but before I can continue a gun is pressed against my temple.

"Now now, there is no need for such violence. Were all one big fucked up family after all." The joker states with sadistic glee all over his expression.

I let go off my father snap my right arm out knocking the gun from Joker's hand before Kicking him square in the nuts. I lung forward knocking the both of us over a table before he nails me in the diaphragm with a solid knee. As I stumble back my father strikes out at my left knee, but didn't expect the beer bottle I chuck at him. When he ducks I strike him in the temple with a quick punch.

I turn back to the big threat in time to see him whip out a kryptonite pocket knife, he manages one step toward supergirl before I'm on him. _No time to think, just fight, every lesson, every scar, every opponent doesn't matter if I fail now. Focus, breathe and focus._ Time seems too slow as I clasp my hand around his wrist, before snapping it pulling him closer and palm striking his nose.

"Ow no fair. You fight nothing like the bat how am I supposed to win?" Joker whines as his ass meets the floor.

"Like this boss." I look back too see my father standing, supergirl's hair clutched in his left hand, with a pistol pressed against her head. Looking at her now I can see the rough shape she's in, glowing shards of kryptonite shrapnel in her arms and legs. She looks so tired, so human. Funny I never used to think that the superheroes were just like us, now I don't see a difference.

Before anyone could react a blur slams into my father sending him sliding across the room. Superman now stands where he once was, he turns before looking directly at me.

Before he can speak I see my father standing back up and in his hand he clutches the same knife I disarmed from joker. He runs at superman intent on stabbing him in the back, not if I can help it. I take off too intercept my father, superman's eyes widen he moves out of my way before seeing my father in his peripheral vision. I catch my father's wrists, but not before the knife sinks into my skin.

Damn two hits to the diaphragm in a matter of minutes, only this one might kill me. Fuck it I'm taking this bastard down with me. Reaching out I grasp both sides of his head before headbutting his nose, following it up by forcing it to meet my knee then slamming my left elbow into his nose, and last but certainly not least throwing all my weight behind a jumping right haymaker.

My father is flung away farther than I thought would be possible, downside to this he yanked the knife from my diaphragm quite violently. My vision blurs as I fall forward only to be caught in the arms of supergirl. The last thing I remember after that was a look on her face caught somewhere between guilt and worry, then the feeling of weightlessness.

 _ **Twelve hours later January 1st**_

My eyes fly open and instantly I regret it. Blinding lights, I'm pretty sure I screamed maybe even whimpered. Then I remember what happened and I force away my pain sit up and look around. _This doesn't look like any hospital I've ever seen._

"That's because it is not." A calm voice says beside me. I know I screamed that time. The dick had the nerve to laugh. "My apologies. I take it telepaths are not a commodity where your from?"

"If there was a telepath in Gotham they hid very well. I'm almost certain that would have been publicized everywhere." I look at the man speaking beside me and can't help but stare at his eyes, most people probably would have been stuck on the he's green thing. But there was a heavy almost palpable guilt that shone clearly through his eyes, I couldn't look away like it was calling to something in me, deep inside locked behind a door I'd forgotten about.

"Where am I exactly Mr…" he never told me his name, I don't want to assume he's Martian manhunter, I'm sure that would be racist considering the whole he's green thing.

"Call me John." He says in a friendly tone, a genuine one not like the Joker's mock uncle act. I smile at the man, here I was worrying that the heroes would call me a monster, some kind of demon.

"So john what is this place?" I ask with genuine curiosity. Sue me I'm a curious sort. "And is my father…." I can't even finish the question.

"Alive though you did try to keep that from happening." This voice comes from the now open door, and standing in it is none other than the big boy hero himself, superman.

"It was him or you… I chose him, how is supergirl?"

"Recovering. Thanks in no small part too you, if you hadn't seen that grenade she wouldn't have been able to protect her vitals in time. So for that you have my gratitude." Long winded fellow ain't he, and oh so formal.

"Calm yourself superman you know not of the turmoil and strife this boy hides deep within himself." Martian manhunter defends attempting to placate an upset supes.

"He killed 36 men john. We don't do that we don't kill." Superman starts but john cuts him off.

"We are not so pure and innocent as you like to believe superman. We have ours sins, countless and no less damming than this boys."

"I hate to interrupt this debate in morals and ethics but I'd like to see my father, plus this bed is hella uncomfortable." I speak up mostly so I don't have too hear this debate continued.

"Of course come with me." John says as he rises.

We leave my hospital room, and honestly I'm surprised I can even stand. Before I can ask john about this he is already answering me…

"Supergirl nearly refused treatment until you were healed properly. Superman was not happy as you can imagine, so I came up with a compromise. Myself and the flash would watch you ensuring your safe recovery while supergirl would get treated for kryptonite illness and recover in the yellow sun room. Or as flash likes to call it the tanning salon."

"I'm never going to get used to your telepathy am I?"

"That depends on how quickly you adapt to new situations." He responds with a smile on his face, "we are here. Your father is inside… Batman and the huntress are watching him. Though I find the both of them as a bit, how do you say… overkill. Your ferocious attack left him in near comatose state… he knows little aside from his name. Even then he can no longer move his body aside from speaking, and even that seems a difficult task for him."

"Why hasn't anyone pulled his plug than it would be a mercy? He wouldn't have wanted to continue like this before."

"He asked us to wait, he remembers only one other thing and he wished to tell you before he died." He speaks somberly.

I walk through the door and inside is a pale spectre of the man I once knew. No longer the harsh, stern yet loving father. No longer the cruel and plotting crime lord. No longer the cowardly pawn of the joker. No longer the nightmare that haunted my every thought. I almost laugh at seeing him in this state but that would be what he would do if our roles were reversed so instead I merely stare into his caramel colored eyes with my cold ice blue eyes, and wait for him to speak.

His gaze drops nearly immediately, he shuffles unsure where he should start. "Either start talking or I'm leaving… what is this all about old man." Perhaps it was the fact I spoke or the cold venom in my tone that snapped him into focus.

"It's about your mother son, she was ill. And so am I, we never knew where it came from, but know I believe it was the joker. I thought that death would be easier, that you would no longer be pained by the sight of us. The joker was supposed to kill me that night as well, instead he injected me with an antidote. It not only cured me but granted me incredible attributes. I was at the peak of human strength and speed, but I lost who I really was I don't know why but after that I followed every order he gave no matter how far from my ideals it was. I became his slave. Whatever he injected in me is alive I think, it was supposed to kill me if I ever stopped being useful. Harley Quinn kept saying that red was a genius when she made this stuff. Even as high up as I was I never knew who she was. I can feel it crawling around in me, it's heading for my heart. I'm not going to apologize for anything I've done, I know you won't forgive me. But Marcus promise me, promise me you'll stay away from the joker."

"I can't make that promise. Whether or not you allowed mom to die doesn't change the fact he pulled the trigger." I speak before turning and looking at the 2 heroes in the room, "I understand I'm too be on trial for my crimes." Batman merely nods, I nod back, "goodbye father, I'll allow you to be buried next to mom I know you loved her. Sleep well Franklin Ceaser Venandi."

 _ **End flashback…..**_

"Welcome to stryker's island penitentiary, you'll be here for quite some time I believe. Boy who did you piss off too get stuck in here kid?" The guard, Phil I think his name was asks as he leads me too my cell.

"Superman." Is my simple reply as he shuts the cell door behind me. Cell number 1096, no cellmate good I don't want to deal with anyone not right now. I'm still too absorbed by my thoughts. About my father, about my mom, about my life, about my friends, but most of all about the joker. I want him to pay, to suffer, and I'm willing to use whatever means available to see it done.

As though some deity heard my thoughts in struts none other than Lex Luthor.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been about a week since Lex Luthor paid my bail without asking anything in return, said it was a last favor to my mother. So life went on and now I'm back at metropolis university only now everytime someone looks my way it's too sneer and spit at the ground I walk on. My bandmates turned their backs on me called me a murderer, none of my friends will even speak to me. Funnily enough in my week of isolation I made probably the best friend I've ever had… except for nate that guy is still hanging around some people would call him a pest I'm sure but he's my pest.

Anyway this girl Kara Danvers, a cousin of some reporter or something, she came up to me and thanked me on my first day back. The way she sees it is that I saved her life apparently… nate is trying to get me to make a move on her because in his own words she's "throwing herself at me".

Speaking of the beautiful blonde I've befriended she sets down across the table from me with a bag of takeout. "Figured you'd want your regular since it seems you always forget your lunch." Kara says as she pulls out a Styrofoam container which no doubt has a double bbq bacon steakburger from a small joint called Stanton's steaks. Nothing a pound of steak burger patties thick cut smoked applewood bacon and two crisp fried onion rings can't fix. It's a good joint even if the owner is a bit off an ass.

"You realize I can buy my own food Kara." I say sarcastically, "thanks though I was pretty hungry." I tear open the box too begin devouring my burger… I really like burgers sue me, my father used to say that I got it from my mom.

"Jeez Mr carnivore try to slow down and enjoy the flavor." Kara laughs even as I inhale the final bite and wipe my face clean of bbq sauce and onion ring crumbs. However my good mood disappears as I spot a face I don't really want to see. Lex Luthor struts across the campus with a confident smirk on his face. I think I hate the guy but he was my mom's colleague at one point, her boss later on, and almost lover until my father came into the picture.

"Well hello Marcus, if you have a free moment I'd like too speak to you… privately." Lex speaks in a professional yet friendly tone.

He walks around the table and sets near me but far enough away too appear casual, a subtle way of showing dominance… to bad I don't give a shit about authority and power.

His face darkens as he hears all the slurs and less pleasant things those around us say…. "Leave it be lex. Doing anything about it will only confirm what they say about me, and I refuse to give those assholes any ground to stand on."

"You are so much like your mother, but then those little plague spots of your father show up and ruin the image." He speaks as he trains his face too cool detachment. As he focuses back on me he finds the blade of a knife aimed at his face and Kara holding my wrist with one hand on my chest talking me out of carving my name on this bastard chest.

Taking a few breaths to calm myself, "do not say a fucking word about my father… for that matter don't say a word about my mother either. I don't give a shit what you once were to her now you're just annoying the son that she had with the man she loved. So if this conversation had a point Mr Luther I suggest you get too it before I lose my temper again."

"I see… perhaps this conversation is best spoken while there is someone present to soothe your anger. Well the point to my being here was I find myself in need of assistance, you're brilliant Marcus I've seen your records. I'm not going to guilt you or attempt to coerce you, I'm certain it wouldn't work anyway, I'm simply asking for your help. I'm not sure anyone else would be capable of finishing the prototype I've begun." He damn near begs… and all with complete honesty shining through.

"What kind of prototype?"

"A mechanized nanoparticle ballistic weave combat suit. I was designing it on contract from the U.S. marine corps, its a bit more costly than they'd like and I'm not sure of a way to finish it within their budget." He sits back and runs his hand down his face legitimate fatigue paints his expression…. Aside from the slight hesitation in his voice I would have bought the whole act.

"There is something you're not telling me…. What are you hiding?" As I speaks he looks across to me, a strange mix of pride and intrigue in his eyes.

"Unfortunately I can't discuss the specifics out in the open like this, if you wish to know more call me," he hands a card with his personal cell number to me, "it's been a pleasure… thank you for your time Marcus."

As he walks away I stare down at the card in my hand before pocketing it, I can't help but quietly admit to myself my curiosity is peaked. "Well now that he's gone where were we Kara… I believe you were making fun of my eating habits." I look over as I sit down to see conflict reign on her face, "Kara are you alright?"

She looks up surprised which is rare for her she is usually pretty pinpoint accurate in what is happening around her. "Oh I'm sorry Marcus I was just thinking."

"About what k… you don't trust him either do you?" I wasn't really expecting an answer it was obvious she had some mistrust or even flat out disdain for the businessman.

"Not really, what do you mean either you seemed pretty friendly towards him until he bad mouthed your family." She looked me dead in the eyes. Something in her gentle gaze mixed with her big sky blue eyes made me break.

Letting out a heavy sigh, "Kara there is a lot you don't know about me… including the fact that I got really good at hiding what I'm really thinking or even feeling at least until a certain member of the justice league had a conversation with me. It's nothing against you personally I just had a rough upbringing and I don't open up easy at all. In all honesty it's a miracle I told you anything about me…. Even nate doesn't know shit about my childhood."

She simply sits back down but this time beside me, "I wish you'd tell me more about your past. If you bottle it up all the time it'll come back and hurt you later down the line." She reaches out and places her hand on my arm.

"I'll try but it's just not easy to talk about… it isn't pleasant to even think about. How about this I'll tell you more about myself if I can take you out on a date Saturday night. Deal?" Ok I'll admit it to myself at least, but not nate never nate, I have a crush on kara probably since before we became friends.

"Fair enough, but I expect nothing less than dinner and a movie." She smiles before turning, "I'd better get back to class later Marcus." I swear too god above she swayed her hips on purpose as she walked away.

Shaking my head clear of any dirty thoughts… which took a lot of willpower let me tell you, I turn and began walking to the parking lot… i'm not really in the mood to sit through the rest of my classes and it ain't like my grades will suffer because of my absence I was already gone damn near a week and a half, but I still had all A's and one B when I came back.

 _Maybe I should take lex up and make that prototype… but I need too know more first I'm not jumping in blind. Both mom and dad taught me better than that, I can't believe they're both gone… and I never thought I'd miss my father this much. I need something too distract myself lucky me I have an unfinished prototype of my own waiting at home._

Striding through campus like I have a purpose I make it to my car in record time, my beautiful 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS classic with ash grey leather interior, sits waiting for me too climb in. And who am I too refuse what such a magnificent vehicle demands? As I turn my key and the engine roars to life I can't help but grin, shifting into gear I take off to my apartment here in metropolis.

A few blocks away I reach a complex called metropolis heights, I pull in and climb out of my car. Nodding to the doorman as I calmly walk through I hear a few people greet me but my mind is too far away to respond properly. Once in the elevator I insert my cardkey into a special slot, then type in my combination to reach my penthouse apartment which is 9613.

As the elevator goes up I finger the calling card lex gave me… as tempted as I am I'm not going to call not yet. I need to be in a clearer state of mind first. _Maybe I should try and contact j'onn he said he'd be willing to talk whenever I need a conscience. How the fuck am I even going to get a hold of him it isn't like he gave me his phone number._

Once on my floor the elevator opens up to my living room. Tossing my duffel bag on the couch I stride up to my north facing wall, which is made entirely of one way glass. Staring out over metropolis I feel a strange compulsion not to fight or run or even simply to survive like in the past. No this time I feel compelled to defend, to protect the people of this city.

I don't know where this feeling comes from… maybe I'm having a perception change since my release. I think I view the joker as my problem , a ghost from my past. One that i'll have to deal with or I'll never move on with my life. Lightly brushing my fingers across the card in my pocket I pause before looking over my shoulder.

Sitting in a bronze colored recliner is a face I'm uncertain of how I should react too…. On one hand she was a good friend to my mother almost like a sister, and on the other she is Gotham's best thief, Selina Kyle.

"Didn't realize you were stopping in for a visit auntie… please tell me it's a friendly one." Plopping down on my couch.

She smiles, and its a warm smile like the ones she'd give me as a kid. "What I can't visit you anymore kiddo?"

"You're free too stop by whenever you like as long as you don't steal any of my tech. Though feel more than welcome too puruse the rare art collection or even my vault of money hell take a few of the stocks I have ownership of…. I have too much goddamn money, but the tech is mine it's my hobby ya know like burglary for you." I grin cockeyed at her and she laughs like its the good ole days. Like mom will come around the corner with a pot of spaghetti and shout at dad to get his muddy boots of the table.

"God I miss them auntie. I didn't know it would hurt like this, I don't like being alone." she closes the distance between us and wraps me up in a warming hug, and for the first time in a long time I break down and let everything I've been holding up flow forward. The tears felt nice like I know things won't always hurt, why am I thinking of everything so differently know?


End file.
